The squadron operated army cooperation aircraft from 1935, and upon the outbreak of World War II was selected for overseas duty.

[4] Canadian flying ace Temporary Lieutenant Colonel Billy Bishop was placed in charge of pilot selection for the squadrons; he prioritized officers who had seen service on the Western Front over recent volunteers, effectively creating what military historian Sydney F. Wise described as two "elite squadrons".

In addition to Bishop's departure, the delay in the pilot selection process occurred due to difficulties in transferring Lawson and the other squadron commander from the RAF and doubts about the continued existence of the Canadian Air Force after the war ended on 11 November.

Due to his belief that the DH.9A was obsolete, Lawson unsuccessfully requested that the squadron receive Bristol F.2B Fighters instead.

2 Squadron, CAF was disbanded on 5 February 1920[4] along with the wing headquarters after the Canadian government decided against forming a permanent peacetime air force.

Cuffe, it flew forestry patrols over Alberta to support civil government with sub-bases at Pincher Creek and Eckville.

Flight Lieutenant R. Collis replaced Cuffe on 19 October 1926, and would lead the squadron for the rest of its military career.

Authorized at Camp Borden on 1 April 1927 and redesignated the following year[3] as an advanced training squadron, the unit only existed on paper due to a lack of aircraft, funding, and personnel.

2 (Army Co-operation) Squadron was formed on 1 April 1935 at Trenton, Ontario, equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Atlas Mark I biplanes, under the control of RCAF headquarters.

Van Vliet, it drew on a cadre from the Atlas-equipped Army Co-Operation Flight,[12] which had been formed on 1 April 1930 at Camp Borden and relocated to Trenton, the RCAF training base, in September 1931.

[1] This activity level continued through 1938, with the squadron conducting service training during the fall, winter, and spring months, though dogged by the obsolescence of Atlases and a shortage of personnel.

[1] After returning to Rockcliffe, the squadron commenced individual ground and air training, emphasizing forced landings, message delivery, camera gunnery, night flying, signals, photography, and mechanics.

Although training continued during the spring, Van Vliet deplored that it was hampered by personnel shortages and daily drill parades being conducted in preparation for the upcoming visit of King George VI.

The squadron returned to Trenton on 21 March 1939, absorbing the School of Army Co-Operation there and thus acquiring training responsibilities in addition to its operational mission.

[2] It helped non-permanent squadrons during their summer camps and sent a detachment to Petawawa for artillery observation practice and tactical and photography missions with army units in July.

[1] Shortly before World War II began, on 26 August, the squadron was alerted for hostilities, relocating to the civil aerodrome at Halifax, Nova Scotia, where it joined Eastern Air Command.

Leaving behind A Flight at Halifax, the squadron again moved to RCAF Station Saint John on 1 September.

Between 7 September and 30 October it flew reconnaissance patrols over the Bay of Fundy from both Halifax and Saint John, which amounted to 74 sorties.

2 Squadron returned to Rockliffe to receive training and re-equip with the newer Westland Lysander Mark II monoplane on 1 November.

[3][17] Its pilots flew 168 operational and 212 non-operational flying hours during wartime;[2] the squadron received no battle honours.